Plants of Glacier National Park

“The meadows explode into colour in August, with wildflowers including paintbrush, glacier lily, fireweed, lupine and monkeyflower.� (Parks Canada 2013)

Plants of Glacier National Park Pinus albicaulis & Saxifraga bronchialis L.

by Chris Vetrano

The Glacier National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife and plants, some of which are endangered.

Western red cedar, western hemlock, western white pine, and whitebark pine are a few of the trees that inhabit the park. Shrubs include devil's club, Pacific yew, and mountain box. There are also varieties of ferns and mosses which grow within the Interior Cedar-Hemlock forest. (Parks Canada, nd)

Pinus albicus Scientific Name of Plant: Pinus albicaulis Order: Pinales Common Name of Plant: Whitebark Pine Family: Pinaceae One of the most important trees in Glacier National Park is Pinus albicus. P. albicaulis occurs in high elevation environments across western Canada and the United States. (McDermid, 2008) Between latitudes 31° to 51° N (Marcus, nd) They grow on dry ridges and they endure extreme wind and cold (forsite, nd) “It is most abundant on drier, exposed south-facing slopes, near treeline.” (FGC, 2011) P. albicaulis is a “foundation and keystone species of upper subalpine and treeline ecosystems throughout the western United States and Canada.”

(Smith, 2011) There are many other plants and wildlife that depend on it for survival. It is also capable of retaining snow and water on site. (FGC, 2011) In 1906 a fungus was introduced called Cronartium ribicola. A species of rust fungi in the family Cronartiaceae that causes white pine blister rust. (Parks Canada, nd) It has two other problematic concerns, Pine Beetle and Fire suppression, both of which are threatening the survival of the species.

P. albicaulis “populations are naturally fragmented, especially between mountain ranges. It is often in association with Engelmann Spruce and Subalpine Fir.” (COSEWIC. nd) “The soils are typically coarse, rocky, and shallow over bedrock, and well to rapidly drained.”

(COSEWIC. nd) “When young smooth and gray-white, later darkening and becoming scaly, rarely more than 1/2 inch thick; inner bark is reddish brown.” (VT, nd) P. albicus is also somewhat shade tolerant. (ACA, 2007)

Saxifraga bronchialis L. Common Name of Plant: Yellowdot saxifrage Order: Rosales Scientific Name of Plant: Saxifraga bronchialis L Family: Saxifragaceae This is a unique looking plant with a moss-like matted cushion, upright flower stems. There are 3–5 flowers at the stem top, white with yellow, orange, purple, or maroon spots on outer half of petals. It grows in rocky openings on cliffs, scree, crevices, in subalpine and alpine areas. (Montana Plant Life, nd) “Saxifrage” means “rock-breaker” Its native habitat is rock crevices; open, talus slopes; gravelly tundra. (uta, nd) Native Distribution: AK to Greenland, s. in mts. to n. OR & NM (uta, nd) It wider distribution is from New Mexico to Alaska. USA (AK, CO, ID, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY), CAN (AB, BC, NT, YT). (USDA, nd) Interestingly is has been used by herbalists for treatment of stones in the urinary tract. (uta, nd) Saxifraga bronchialis is “a larval host and/or nectar source for Astarte Fritillary (Boloria astarte)” (uta, nd) Saxifraga bronchialis L. The avergae elevation is 1857 m. (UBC, 2013)

References Alberta Conservation Association (2007, November). Status of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicus) Alberta.

Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://srd.alberta.ca/Fishwildlife/SpeciesAtRisk/DetailedStatus/documents/Whitebark_Pine_Status_Report 63_WEB.pdf COSEWIC (2010). COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Whitebark Pine Pinus albicaulis in Canada. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2011/ec/CW6914-612-2010-eng.pdf Department of Geography UBC (2013). E-Flora BC Atlas Page. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Saxifraga%20bronchialis

FG Council (2012, January). Whitebark Pine in British Columbia. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.fgcouncil.bc.ca/Factsheet1-WhiteBarkPine_2011.pdf Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (2013). Saxifraga bronchialis (Yellowdot saxifrage) | NPIN. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SABR6 Parks Canada (2013, January 5). Common Alpine Wildflowers of Glacier National Park. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/natcul/natcul6/fleursflowers.aspx?a=1&photo={67C10D6D-DA4B-489E-B917-25879D8E6BC7} Turner Photographics (n.d.). Saxifraga bronchialis | spotted saxifrage | Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest.

Retrieved October 14, 2013, from http://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/saxifraga-bronchialis USDA (n.d.). Plants Profile for Saxifraga bronchialis (yellowdot saxifrage). Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=sabr6 Virginia Tech (n.d.). Moist Temperate Coniferous Forest Biome page 3. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/forsite/mtcfbiome3.htm Virginia Tech (n.d.). Pinus albicaulis Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=176 Warwell, M. V., Rehfeldt, G. E., & Crookston, N. L. (2007). Modeling Contemporary Climate Profiles of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) and Predicting Responses to Global Warming. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.fs.fed.us/outernet/r6/nr/fid/wbpine/papers/2007-wbp-climate-warwell.pdf